Microsoft is a company where passionate innovators come to collaborate, envision what can be and take their careers further. This is a world of more possibilities, more innovation, more openness, and the sky is the limit thinking in a cloud-enabled world. Microsoft’s Azure Data engineering team is leading the transformation of analytics in the world of data with products like databases, data integration, big data analytics, messaging & real-time analytics, and business intelligence. The products our portfolio include Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL DB, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure PostgreSQL, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Service Bus, Azure Event Grid, and Power BI. Our mission is to build the data platform for the age of AI, powering a new class of data-first applications and driving a data culture. Within Azure Data, the databases team builds and maintains Microsoft's operational Database systems. We store and manage data in a structured way to enable multitude of applications across various industries. We are on a journey to enable developer friendly, mission-critical, AI enabled operational Databases across relational, non-relational and OSS offerings. The SQL Database team delivers world class relational database server technologies used across the globe - from small devices, desktops, and servers to some of the largest Cloud deployments in the world. Everywhere you look, the amount of data being generated in the world is soaring. With this dramatic growth, the importance of the data platform continues to grow tremendously. Data is at the heart of the Cloud. As a Principal Software Engineer in the Azure SQL Database team, you will have the opportunity to design and build a massively scalable distributed database system, focusing on high performance and available multi-tier storage services and Query processing. Our engineers incorporate the latest academic research and leverage the benefits of modern hardware advancements to support some of the largest databases on the planet, combining excellent query performance with ease of management to delight customers We do not just value differences or different perspectives. We seek them out and invite them in so we can tap into the collective power of everyone in the company. As a result, our customers are better served. **Responsibilities** Collaborate with appropriate stakeholders to determine user requirements and incorporate them in future designs. Lead by example and mentor others to produce extensible and maintainable code used across products. Lead efforts to ensure the correct processes are followed to achieve a high degree of security, privacy, safety, and accessibility across solutions and teams. Leverage subject-matter expertise of cross-product features with appropriate stakeholders to drive multiple groups' project plans, release plans, and work items. Maintain operations of live service as issues arise on a rotational, on-call basis. Embody our culture (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/culture) and values (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-values) **Qualifications** **Required/Minimum Qualifications** + Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience. **Other Requirements** Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter. **Preferred/Additional Qualifications** + Master's Degree in Computer Science, or related technical discipline AND 12+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, or Java OR equivalent experience. + 12+ years of experience designing and developing high-performance and production quality C++ or C#/Java server software. + Specialized knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Database systems, Operating system internals, Distributed systems, Windows development. + Experience problem-solving, debugging, interpersonal, and communication skills. Software Engineering IC6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $161,600 - $286,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $209,600 - $314,400 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay Microsoft will accept applications for the role until April 22, 2025. Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .